Congresses passes (and Obama vetoes) bill no one wanted

If you're looking for a perfect example of how dysfunctional the current Congress is, consider this story. A well-meaning bill to enhance interstate commerce was passed without debate, and almost unanimously. Only problem? It also would make fraudulent foreclosures MUCH easier, just at the moment we are learning many of the major banks ignored regulations.

Democrats were trying to figure out Thursday how they allowed a bill to pass that critics say would introduce more fraud into the system, a Pelosi staff member said. It was sponsored by Rep. Robert B. Aderholt (R-Ala.), the first measure he sponsored that passed.

Even he was surprised that it passed, his spokesman said.

Might I be so bold as to suggest the current practice of congresspeople voting on bills without reading them might be the cause?

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said in a statement that his office heard no objections from inside or outside the Senate and even asked the Justice Department to review the language. His committee then approved the bill and it passed by unanimous consent after every Senate office was notified.

Yet another example of how our "professional politicians" are anything but acting professionally in this Congress.

A Car Company Pays DOWN Debt

A largely unreported fact amidst the madness of Chrysler and General Motors, is the many steps Ford has taken to stay out of government bailouts and to show their strength. Yesterday, Ford actually paid down its debt rather than looking for a bailout to accrue more of it.

Ford used $2.4 billion in cash and 468 million shares of its common stock to buy down $9.9 billion in debt, reducing its leverage by 38 percent.

"By substantially reducing our debt, Ford is taking another step toward creating an exciting, viable enterprise," Ford chief executive Alan Mulally said in a statement.

One can't help wondering if soon the "Big Three" automakers will be reduced to the "Big One." Hopefully, the president will do as much to reward Ford for doing the RIGHT things, as he has done to punish GM for doing the WRONG things.

Responsability and Mortgages

With the mortgage and housing crisis, I've been hearing many commercials on the radio about how to deal with not being able to afford your debt anymore. Some take the form of "let us help you get back on your feet." I understand that bankruptcy is a protection offered by the government to do just that: something happened and we as a nation have decided to give you a second chance to get back on your feet and hopefully make better choices next time, thus contributing back to society. The other type of commercial is the reason for my post today. In the other type of commercial you'll have two people talking. The one has just bought a new car or is out enjoying life. The other is saying, "Isn't your mortgage astronomical? How can you afford a new car / to not have a second job / etc." The first one responds that they used to have to worry about that, but now that they've talked to [insert company here], they're free to do whatever they want. It was the best thing they ever did. This is just another step in the no personal responsibility culture that we have been breeding. I am sure there are some people out there who honestly were swindled into their mortgage / didn't know what they were getting into, but having recently bought a home, I know that I had to do my research, ask questions, look things over, and understand what I was doing: making a promise to pay a debt I was taking on. Yes, there is the protection of bankruptcy for those that need it. If you're declaring bankruptcy to be able to buy a new car / play more golf / etc., you're going back on your word and swindling the company that held your mortgage. As we've seen from recent news stories, the attitude "oh, they're a big company that makes tons of money. It doesn't matter if I don't pay my bills" is NOT true.

Graduation: Your First Step Into Adulthood

17 Sacramento students were not able to attend their graduation ceremony after putting dye in the pool and cutting bird netting around the school. The students were warned, but now are trying to use the defense, "but it's tradition to do a senior prank." Welcome to adulthood where you have to take responsibility for your actions. Vandalism is vandalism and you were warned of the rules beforehand. There are many non-destructive pranks that can be done if you wish to participate in senior prank.

Are we ready to end Internet anonymity?

Ever since the "Web" went public and stopped being DARPANET, there has been an ongoing debate over the assumption of anonymity that is implicit in the web. The structure and standards of the web promote anonymity, which as lead to an explosion of creativity, free speech, and free thought on the Net which is nearly unimaginable in the real world. The Web is where you can badmouth your employer without being fired, give an honest critique of a book or movie without fear of being personally attacked by the author, and where you can leak documents critical to public safety without fear of your identity being immediately known.

But the Web has also become a place where sex predators can stalk children without fear of being caught, where a 50-year-old man can pretend to be a teenage boy and ruin the life of a teenage girl, or where anonymous bullies can drive a teenager to suicide.

Kentucky Representative Tim Couch thinks it is time to end internet anonymity in order to bring back responsibility and protect minors. But such an action would also effectively end many of the advantages of the Web as seen in whistleblowers being free to tell us what we need to know. Is Rep. Couch right, or are we throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

Honestly, I think this would be a revealing issue to raise in the new debate in the Presidential campaign.